My Family, by Naruto Uzumaki
by Mystic Dragon
Summary: Rated K  for a little swearing to be safe.  The Genin teams are given an odd D-Rank mission:  write about their families.  After some thought, Naruto figures out who his family is, and who his family is going to be.


I don't own Naruto!

Not much for notes...this takes place sometime before the Wave arc, and was written for a challenge on SHINE about family. I'm sure this type of fic has been done before, but I figured this would be the result of Naruto musing on his family.

"Sensei" means "teacher", and "jiji" means "gramps" or "grandpa".

For those that watch/read the English version, the "Kage Bunshin" is the "Shadow Clone" technique.

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Family

My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm twelve years old! I hate writing, but Kakashi-sensei had us participate in this really, really stupid D-Rank mission that a bunch of us were given. At first, I didn't know what to write, cause I'm sorta an orphan and all, and the mission is: "An essay on what Genin feel about their family".

I guess it's something that'll get to the Academy so the wanna-be ninja kiddies still consider it. I still think this was a bad idea. Yea, I'm actually writing that! BAD IDEA! I don't care if it was the Hokage, himself, that issued this mission!

Geez, I don't even wanna think of what Sasuke is gonna write about. Some of us have pretty screwed up backgrounds, ya know.

But, well, I don't wanna fail a mission, particularly a _D-Rank_ mission (how lame would that be?), so I figured I'd sit down and give it a shot.

I didn't know what the hell to write about (yea, I'm swearing in my essay…deal with it! It's your fault that I'm writing this, anyway!). I don't _know_ my family. The villagers treated me like shit for most of my life, so the village wasn't even my home for a long, long time.

What changed was when I was academy age. I think I was eight. When I entered, I didn't expect anything. Nobody wanted to deal with me, and I was already the class loner. But then, I got Iruka-sensei as a teacher, and…he was strict and all on me, but was always saying "I know you can do better" and all. I thought he hated me, too.

Then, he treated me to ramen for the first time. I guess I have him to thank for my love of ramen, unless it's genetic, but I wouldn't know about that, now would I?

Then, Hokage-jiji (yea, I'm call'n you 'gramps'…I know you're gonna read this!) came into the picture to make sure I had everything I needed like money and all at home…

Right, right…family, huh?

Well, I guess they _are_ my family.

I don't have a mom or dad, or grandma or grandpa, or brothers or sisters…but I sorta do at the same time.

Iruka-sensei is kinda like a mom, in a guy sorta way. He sometimes stops by to make sure I'm not running low on food, treats me to ramen, and puts his foot down on me (literally, at times!) when I do something dumb or pull a prank. Outta all the Chuunin in the village he was the only one that could catch me after a prank.

What's that say about our ninja force, huh? Maybe that I'm just that awesome?

Iruka-sensei cares a lot about me, even though I've graduated. We still see each other, and he still talks to me and treats me to ramen. He always asks how I'm doing, and he even fusses a bit over me sometimes. He praises me when I do a good job, and looks out for me even though I'm technically not his student anymore.

Is that cool or what? Definitely what I'd imagine a mom to be. Except he's a guy, but, whatever…

I've got a crazy, pervert of a dad in Kakashi-sensei. He hasn't pulled favorites, and actually seems to not care that I have the Kyuubi sealed in me. Oh, Iruka-sensei was the same. He sorta throws us to the sharks to train us, and I swear he's laughing under that mask of his at our misfortunes on D-Rank missions (if I have to catch that damn cat _one more time_, I'm gonna wrap it in duct tape and stick it to the lady's house, daimyo's wife or not! Can't blame the thing for running away, of course, but it's a terror!).

He ruffles my hair sometimes, and doesn't directly say "good job", but I can tell in his actions that he's proud of me when I get something right. He hated us at first, I think, but he likes us, now. I think he sneaks into my apartment at times to bring fresh milk when I forget, cause I'd come home and there'd be fresh milk in the fridge and the expired stuff would be gone.

He's perpetually late, and I really, really, really wanna know what's under that mask of his, but he's got that entire "cool guy" attitude without it being annoying as hell. Plus, he's an adult that acknowledges me, and teaches me about ninja life with D-Rank missions. We even play 'tag' and 'catch' sometimes! Alright, we play 'tag' with Shadow Clones and 'catch' with pointy objects, but…hey, we're ninja!

I have a grandpa, too! The old-man Hokage (yea, I didn't forget you). Sandaime is like a grandpa to me, cause he's an old man (well, you are), and has that old man smell (it's true), but he can be kick ass, and is the one that sprung for my apartment and makes sure I have a stipend and cash flow. Though, that's gone down a bit now since some of it is coming from D-Rank missions.

He's like the grandpa in families that looks after the kid when the parents can't, and spoils the kid. I'm far from spoiled, but when he got me away from the damn caretakers and into my own apartment, it was super awesome.

For a little brother, that'd be Konohamaru. He wants to be the next Hokage, too, but I'm already ahead of him cause I'm a Genin and he's still in the Academy. He follows me around sometimes (poorly…someone hasta teach that kid better ways to blend in. I mean, I wear orange, and I still manage to hide better'n that!). He started wearing goggles to imitate me…I was honestly flattered, though I didn't tell him that.

Maybe I'll show him the Kage Bunshin some day…hey, big brother's gotta make sure his little brother survives the nasty ninja world! He's kinda like me, so it's really cool.

I have an aunt and uncle, too! Well, okay, more like an older sister and an uncle. Teuchi and Ayame! They run the Ichiraku Ramen stand, and they've always been nice to me! Sometimes, they let me have some free ramen when I was little. They also give me coupons and stuff, and always ask how I'm doing! Ayame is like an older sister and an aunt all in one! And Teuchi is like an uncle! I don't know what real aunts and uncles do, but Ayame looks out for me when I'm there, like a big sister, and Teuchi is always smiling and seeing that I'm fed when I'm there.

I have a brother more of my age…that'd be Sasuke! We argue like cats and dogs, and we're always competing against each other. He's a stuck up, elitist prick, but I think he's just as lonely as I am. Plus, he's really cool and all (tell him I said that, and I'll use those pervy books that I _know_ you have as kindling or target practice). He's the brother that you fight with constantly, but deep down, you know you're pals and will look after each other.

Sakura-chan…uh, I guess she's sorta a sister. I'd rather she be my _girlfriend_, but she doesn't seemta hate me as much as she did when we first graduated and met Kakashi-sensei for the first time before that sadistic test of his. Maybe sister, but I don't wanna think of her as a sister, or else she couldn't be my girlfriend, cause that'd just be _weird_!

And one day, I'll be the Hokage, and then the entire village will be my family! I'll have tons of brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and grandpas and grandmas and moms and dads…and I'd be _their_ family, too, and watch over them and make sure they don't come to any harm!

So, my family? Yea, I definitely got one! For now, it's small, but one day, it'll be the entire village. And that day, I'll be a hero of Konoha, if not the next Hokage!

**END**


End file.
